The Annual Survey of Jails (ASJ) is the only data collection effort that provides an
annual source of data on local jails and jail inmates. Data on the size of the
jail population and selected inmate characteristics are obtained every five to
six years from the Census of Jails. In each of the years between the full censuses,
a sample survey of jails is conducted to estimate
baseline characteristics of the Nation's jails and inmates housed in these jails.
The 2007 Annual Survey of Jails is the 20th such survey in a series begun in 1982.
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The Annual Survey of Jails (ASJ) is the only data collection effort that provides an
annual source of data on local jails and jail inmates. Data on the size of the
jail population and selected inmate characteristics are obtained every five to
six years from the Census of Jails. In each of the years between the full censuses,
a sample survey of jails is conducted to estimate
baseline characteristics of the Nation's jails and inmates housed in these jails.
The 2007 Annual Survey of Jails is the 20th such survey in a series begun in 1982.
The ASJ supplies data on characteristics of jails such as admissions and releases,
growth in the number of jail facilities, changes in their rated capacities and level
of occupancy, growth in the population supervised in the community, changes in methods
of community supervision, and crowding issues. The ASJ
also provides information on changes in the demographics of the jail population,
supervision status of persons held, and a count of non-citizens in custody.
The data presented in this study were collected in the Annual Survey of
Jails, 2007. These data are used to track growth in the number of
jails and the capacities nationally, changes in the demographics of the
jail population and supervision status of persons held, the prevalence of
crowding issues, and a count of non-United States citizens within the jail
population. The data are intended for a variety of users, including
Federal and State agencies, local officials in conjunction with jail
administrators, researchers, planners, and the public. The reference date
for the survey is June 29, 2007.

Access Notes

The public-use data files in this collection are available for access by the general public.
Access does not require affiliation with an ICPSR member institution.

Methodology

Sample:
Based on information from the 2005 Census of Jails, a sample of individual jail reporting units was selected for the 2007 survey. The sample included public and private jails in 874 selected jail jurisdictions including 63 regional jails. A stratified random sample of county or city jurisdictions was stratified by average daily population (ADP) as reported by the 2005 Census of Jails. Large jails and regional jails were included in the sample with certainty.

Mode of Data Collection:
mail questionnaire,
web-based survey

Response Rates:
The response rate for the survey was 100 percent
for the following critical data items: confined persons (CONFPOP), number of adult male and adult
female inmates (ADMALE, ADFEML), average daily population (ADP), and total rated capacity of
jails (RATCAP). Extensive follow-up, including additional mail and fax requests and repeated
telephone contacts, resulted in a nearly 100 percent response rate for the number of juvenile male and
juvenile female inmates (JUVMALE, JUVFEML), and nearly 90 percent for the number of inmates by race and
Hispanic origin (WHITE, BLACK, HISP, AMINDALK, ASIAN, HAWPAC, TWORACE) and for the number of male
and female inmates by conviction status (CONVMALE, CONVFML, UNCONVML, UNCONVFM).

Extent of Processing: ICPSR data undergo a confidentiality review and are altered when necessary to limit the risk of
disclosure. ICPSR also routinely creates ready-to-go data files along with setups in the major
statistical software formats as well as standard codebooks to accompany the data. In addition to
these procedures, ICPSR performed the following processing steps for this data collection:

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Located within ICPSR, NACJD is sponsored by the
Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Institute of Justice, and the Office
of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

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